14. Social Contracts: An Approach for Improved Water Utility Governance

Led by: Declan Hearne, Senior Program Officer, International WaterCentre

About the course

This course aims to improve the efficient delivery of water services by recognising trust and constructive engagement as critical pillars for delivering good governance of water utilities. A lack of clarity around roles and responsibilities can cloud decision making and distract utilities from achieving good governance. This course will introduce participants to the strategies and tools needed to overcome communication barriers, facilitate reciprocal decision making and enable supportive governance arrangements necessary for unlocking the performance capacity of utilities.

The Benefits

Completion of this course will provide participants with the skills to:

Assess how governance can influence utility performance

Assess the role and responsibilities of key stakeholders for water services – including utilities, government, regulators and customers

Facilitate a process for negotiating reciprocal agreements and building trust with key stakeholders